Research on the mechanism of leader-follower product sales competition based on market access restrictions and forward contract considerations.

Market access restrictions have been the focus of attention for various market players, but there are fewer studies on the competitive mechanism of market access restrictions on firms' product sales. This paper investigates the competitive mechanism of leader-follower product sales based on market access restrictions and forward contracts. First, the mechanism of leader-follower sales decisions based on market access restrictions and forward contracts is clarified. Second, it models the forward default risk suffered by followers and the profit rate of leader-follower based on market access restrictions and forward considerations by Bayes' posterior probability method. Moreover, it severely explores the impact mechanisms of the degree of market access restrictions on leaders and followers when followers do not adopt and adopt forwards and makes a simulation analysis. The results show that: (i) When followers do not employ forward contracts, the less restrictive degree of market access increases the supply of leaders, and leaders' competition for product sales further leads to a decrease in the provision of followers. (ii) When followers use forwards, leaders' and followers' expected discounted profit rates decrease with the total supply of products in the market increases. (iii) If the degree of market access restrictions is low, the followers suffer an increased forward default risk, resulting in their rate of revenue decrease. The findings of this paper have some practical significance and policy implications for the regulator to adjust the degree of market access restriction in each restricted access area, to establish a reasonable and efficient competitive environment for product sales, as well as for firms to choose the optimal way of competing for product sales.

Navigating crisis: The effect of COVID-19 on sports entrepreneurs and service excellence in non-profit organizations.

Sports organizations have deemed sports entrepreneurship crucial in helping them overcome difficult times. The purpose of this research is to find out how the COVID-19 issue affected sports entrepreneurs and whether there are any variations in how non-profit sporting organizations anticipate entrepreneurs' effect on service excellence. This goal was achieved by comparing 145 sports organizations before and after the viral epidemic. The factors evaluated before (Time 1) and after (Time 2) the COVID-19 epidemic were compared using paired sample-t tests. Associations and multilevel linear declines were utilized to examine the link between the factors discussed in the two phases. After the emergence of COVID-19, the findings suggest that risk-taking and creativity are much more significant, although initiative has mostly stayed the same. Lastly, a favourable and statistically substantial correlation exists between sports entrepreneurial and service excellence during pre- and post-crisis periods.

[Vasectomy of finances sidelines politicians' promises of 24/7 services]. / Vasektomie der Finanzen lenkt 24/7-Leistungsversprechen der Politik aufs Abstellgleis.

The German healthcare system is outdated, no longer reflects reality and needs to be reformed. In addition to a lack of ideas, there is a lack of courage and will to implement necessary reforms. Where will current developments lead us? When it comes to financing the healthcare system, immense challenges await political decision-makers. Demographic change is already posing major problems for healthcare today. Parallel to the increase in the number of patients, the time that physicians have available for their patients has been decreasing for years. Ultimately, social change and the increase in part-time employment mean that there is significantly less money available. Patient dissatisfaction is increasing as expectations are not being met. While hospitals receive financial support, the outpatient sector has been left empty-handed for years. As financial investors are forcing their way into outpatient care, the focus must be prevented from being purely on maximizing profits. Thus, a reorganization of the healthcare system is necessary.

Access to treatment before and after Medicare coverage of opioid treatment programs.

Since January 2020, Medicare has covered opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment services at opioid treatment programs (OTPs), the only outpatient settings allowed to dispense methadone for treating OUD. This study examined policy-associated changes in Medicare acceptance and the availability of four OUD treatment services (ongoing buprenorphine, HIV/AIDS education, employment services, and comprehensive mental health assessment), by for-profit status, and county-level changes in Medicare-accepting-OTPs access, by sociodemographic characteristics (racial composition, poverty rate, and rurality). Using data from the 2019-2022 National Directory of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Treatment Facilities, we found Medicare acceptance increased from 21.31% in 2018 to 80.76% in 2021. The availability of the four treatment services increased, but no increases were significantly associated with Medicare coverage. While county-level OTP access significantly improved, counties with higher rates of non-White residents experienced an additional average increase of 0.86 Medicare-accepting-OTPs (95% CI, 0.05-1.67) compared to those without higher rates of non-White populations. Overall, Medicare coverage was associated with improved OTP access, not ancillary services.

Why does the cost of employer-sponsored coverage keep rising?

Over the past 25 years, the gap between the increase in health insurance costs and workers' wages has significantly expanded. This trend has led to significant concerns about healthcare affordability, with surveys revealing conflicting opinions regarding whether hospitals or health insurance companies bear the blame for escalating costs. To better understand these dynamics, we examined consumer price indices for health insurance, hospital services, and professional services from 2006 to 2023 using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Our analysis shows that the hospital price index rose steadily between 2006 and 2023, faster than insurance premiums or professional services. To examine whether differences in underlying costs are driving higher hospital price increases, we evaluated the profit margins of hospitals and health insurance companies using the National Academy for State Health Policy''s Hospital Cost Tool and National Association of Insurance Commissioners Industry Reports. Our findings reveal that hospitals (for-profit and nonprofit) have consistently maintained higher profit margins than insurance companies. As health insurance costs continue to weigh heavily on working Americans, our analysis suggests that high hospital prices drive insurance premiums.

The changing shape of general practice in Scotland: the rise of the 'megapractice'.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the trends in the nature of general practices in Scotland between 2014/15 and 2023. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive ecological study. METHODS: We obtained data from Public Health Scotland and used general practitioner (GP) practice codes, practice names, and the General Medical Council (GMC) numbers of their listed GPs to describe trends in practice characteristics and to identify individual practices that were likely to be operating as a single entity. RESULTS: Defining practice entities is difficult because different GP practice codes are often retained when GPs are performing across multiple practices. If GP practice codes alone are used, the median practice list size increased from 5094 to 5881, and the mean from 5588 to 6289, between 2013/14 and 2020/21. There was one outlier practice that grew to have over 45,000 patients registered by 2020/21. However, this underestimates the extent of this new mega-practice phenomenon. Using the GMC numbers of GPs listed as performers to identify where the same GPs are working across multiple GP practice codes, we identified a series of mega-practices that span across health board areas and which have experienced a dramatic increase in their list size (with the two largest having list sizes of over 101,000 and 77,000 patients, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Further research is needed to better understand: how mega-practices provide services and whether this differs from other practices; where financial rewards accumulate within mega-practices; differences in staffing between mega-practices and other models; and the impacts mega-practices have on the quality and continuity of care and on health and inequality outcomes.

Comparative evaluation of remaining dentin thickness, canal centering ability and apical deformity between ProFit S3 and Protaper gold - A nano CT study.

Purpose: For the root canal treatment to be successful, the root canal system must be cleaned and shaped, and must be gradually widened from the apical to the coronal region in order to preserve dentin thickness. ProFit S3 (Profit Dental, India) patented rotary file with variable taper design preserves dentin. The study employs ultra-high-resolution nano-computed tomography to assess the volumetric changes of two new rotary files in permanent mandibular premolars. Materials and methods: Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, this in-vitro investigation used extracted premolars. Before the pre-operative scan, samples were made and the working length was determined using a high-precision nano-CT (SkyScan 2214, Bruker, Kontich, Belgium). A single skilled pediatric dentist used ProFit S3 (Profit Dental, India) and Protaper Gold (PTG; Dentsply, Tulsa Dental Specialties, Tulsa, OK, USA) to prepare the canals. Post-op scans were similar to pre-ops. For 3D root canal visualization and analysis, NRecon software was used to rebuild images. Results: Profit S3 has a mean value of 0.65500 and Protaper gold 1.38800, indicating a significant range. Protaper gold followed Profit S3 in canal volume differential. The two rotating file systems differed significantly (p 0.05). ProFit S3 maintained mesiodistal and buccolingual dentin thickness at 4 mm, 8 mm, and 12 mm, followed by Protaper Gold. Conclusions: ProFit S3 exhibited the lowest mean canal volume difference compared to Protaper gold. Unlike Protaper Gold, ProFit S3 offers a variable taper design that preserves root canal anatomy, peri cervical dentin, and dentin thickness.

Effect of IWATE laparoscopic difficulty score on postoperative outcomes and costs for robotic hepatectomy: Are complex resections more expensive?

BACKGROUND: The IWATE criteria, a four-level classification system for laparoscopic hepatectomy, measures technical complexity but lacks studies on its impact on outcomes and costs, especially in robotic surgeries. This study evaluated the effects of technical complexity on perioperative outcomes and costs in robotic hepatectomy. METHODS: Since 2013, we prospectively followed 500 patients who underwent robotic hepatectomy. Patients were classified into four levels of IWATE scores; (low [0-3], intermediate [4-6], advanced [7-9], and expert [10-12]) determined by tumor characteristics, liver function and resection extent. Perioperative variables were analyzed with significance accepted at a p-value ≤.05. RESULTS: Among 500 patients, 337 (67%) underwent advanced to expert-level operations. Median operative duration was 213 min (range: 16-817 min; mean ± SD: 240 ± 116.1 min; p < .001) and estimated blood loss (EBL) was 95 mL (range: 0-3500 mL; mean ± SD:142 ± 171.1 mL; p < .001). Both operative duration and EBL showed positive correlations with increasing IWATE scores. Median length of stay (LOS) of 3 days (range: 0-34; mean ± SD:4 ± 3.0 days; p < .001) significantly correlated with IWATE score. Total cost of $25 388 (range: $84-354 407; mean ± SD: 29752 ± 20106.8; p < .001) also significantly correlated with operative complexity, however hospital reimbursement did not. No correlation was found between IWATE score and postoperative complications or mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical variables such as operative duration, EBL, and LOS correlate with IWATE difficulty scores in robotic hepatectomy. Financial metrics such as costs but not reimbursement received by the hospital correlate with IWATE scores.

Ophthalmological conditions among elderly patients attending a private eye care facility in Malawi: A retrospective study.

Background: The elderly comprises the fastest-expanding age group globally, with the greatest increase occurring in developing countries. The elderly populace is prone to develop various ocular morbidities. Purpose: To determine the distribution of ocular morbidities among the elderly population visiting a private eye care facility in Malawi. Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study conducted at St. John's Hospital in Mzuzu, Malawi. We retrieved data from the hospital's ophthalmic outpatient registry from January, 2021 to December, 2021. A nonprobability census sampling technique was used to retrieve 52 elderly patients. Data analysis were done employing SPSS (v.26). Results: This study found according to gender a larger proportion were females 27 (51.9%) compared males, who accounted for 25 (48.1%). Refractive error 21 (40.4%) was the most prevalent ocular morbidity followed by cataract 13 (25.0%), pinguecula 6 (11.5%), and glaucoma 4 (7.7%). Although clear differences exist in the distribution of ocular morbidities according to sex (p = 0.529) and age (p = 0.328), the differences are not statistically significant. Conclusion: The pattern of eye diseases is typical to the country. More resources should be targeting main causes of preventable blindness including refractive error and cataracts at the facility.

Underwriter Discourse, IPO Profit Distribution, and Audit Quality: An Entropy Study from the Perspective of an Underwriter-Auditor Network.

Underwriters play a pivotal role in the IPO process. Information entropy, a tool for measuring the uncertainty and complexity of information, has been widely applied to various issues in complex networks. Information entropy can quantify the uncertainty and complexity of nodes in the network, providing a unique analytical perspective and methodological support for this study. This paper employs a bipartite network analysis method to construct the relationship network between underwriters and accounting firms, using the centrality of underwriters in the network as a measure of their influence to explore the impact of underwriters' influence on the distribution of interests and audit outcomes. The findings indicate that a more pronounced influence of underwriters significantly increases the ratio of underwriting fees to audit fees. Higher influence often accompanies an increase in abnormal underwriting fees. Further research reveals that companies underwritten by more influential underwriters experience a decline in audit quality. Finally, the study reveals that a well-structured audit committee governance and the rationalization of market sentiments can mitigate the negative impacts of underwriters' influence. The innovation of this paper is that it enriches the content related to underwriters by constructing the relationship network between underwriters and accounting firms for the first time using a bipartite network through the lens of information entropy. This conclusion provides new directions for thinking about the motives and possibilities behind financial institutions' cooperation, offering insights for market regulation and policy formulation.

Association between characteristics of employing healthcare facilities and healthcare worker infection rates and psychosocial experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare facility characteristics, such as ownership, size, and location, have been associated with patient outcomes. However, it is not known whether the outcomes of healthcare workers are associated with the characteristics of their employing healthcare facilities, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This was an analysis of a nationwide registry of healthcare workers (the Healthcare Worker Exposure Response and Outcomes (HERO) registry). Participants were surveyed on their personal, employment, and medical characteristics, as well as our primary study outcomes of COVID-19 infection, access to personal protective equipment, and burnout. Participants from healthcare sites with at least ten respondents were included, and these sites were linked to American Hospital Association data to extract information about sites, including number of beds, teaching status, urban/rural location, and for-profit status. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate linear regression models for the unadjusted and adjusted associations between healthcare facility characteristics and outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 8,941 healthcare workers from 97 clinical sites were included in the study. After adjustment for participant demographics, healthcare role, and medical comorbidities, facility for-profit status was associated with greater odds of COVID-19 diagnosis (aOR 1.76, 95% CI 1.02-3.03, p = .042). Micropolitan location was associated with decreased odds of COVID-19 infection after adjustment (aOR = 0.42, 95% CI 0.24, 0.71, p = .002. For-profit facility status was associated with decreased odds of burnout after adjustment (aOR = 0.53, 95% CI 0.29-0.98), p = .044). CONCLUSIONS: For-profit status of employing healthcare facilities was associated with greater odds of COVID-19 diagnosis but decreased odds of burnout after adjustment for demographics, healthcare role, and medical comorbidities. Future research to understand the relationship between facility ownership status and healthcare outcomes is needed to promote wellbeing in the healthcare workforce. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The registry was prospectively registered: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (trial registration number) NCT04342806, submitted April 8, 2020.

Community-based breeding programs can realize sustainable genetic gain and economic benefits in tropical dairy cattle systems.

Implementing an appropriate breeding program is crucial to control fluctuation in performance, enhance adaptation, and further improve the crossbred population of dairy cattle. Five alternative breeding programs (BPs) were modeled considering available breeding units in the study area, the existing crossbreeding practices, and the future prospects of dairy research and development in Ethiopia. The study targeted 143,576 crossbred cows of 54,822 smallholder households in the Arsi, West Shewa, and North Shewa zones of the Oromia Region, as well as the North Shewa zone of the Amhara Region. The alternative BPs include conventional on-station progeny testing (SPT), conventional on-farm progeny testing (FPT), conventional on-station and on-farm progeny testing (SFPT), genomic selection (GS), and genomic progeny testing (GPT). Input parameters for modeling the BPs were taken from the analysis of long-term data obtained from the Holetta Agricultural Research Center and a survey conducted in the study area. ZPLAN+ software was used to predict estimates of genetic gain (GG) and discounted profit for goal traits. The predicted genetic gains (GGs) for milk yield (MY) per year were 34.52 kg, 49.63 kg, 29.35 kg, 76.16 kg, and 77.51 kg for SPT, FPT, SFPT, GS, and GPT, respectively. The GGs of the other goal traits range from 0.69 to 1.19 days per year for age at first calving, from 1.20 to 2.35 days per year for calving interval, and from 0.06 to 0.12 days per year for herd life. Compared to conventional BPs, genomic systems (GPT and GS) enhanced the GG of MY by 53%-164%, reduced generation interval by up to 21%, and improved the accuracy of test bull selection from 0.33 to 0.43. The discounted profit of the BPs varied from 249.58 Ethiopian Birr (ETB, 1 USD = 39.55696 ETB) per year in SPT to 689.79 ETB per year in GS. Genomic selection outperforms SPT, SFPT, and FPT by 266, 227%, and 138% of discounted profit, respectively. Community-based crossbreeding accompanied by GS and gradual support with progeny testing (GPT) is recommended as the main way forward to attain better genetic progress in dairy farms in Ethiopia and similar scenarios in other tropical countries.

[The medical care of seamen of civil shipping: the role of non-commercial organizations].

According to the International Labor Organization, health protection and access to medical treatment are to be guaranteed to seamen in the same way as to people working ashore. However, in practice, formal measures and mechanisms do not always make it possible to provide medical care to crew members of civil vessels due to peculiarities of legal systems of the States in whose territorial waters the vessel is located, remoteness of the vessel from coastline and objective situation that permits to receiving medical care from the shore. As far as possible these problems are resolved by non-profit organizations of seamen. The overview of their activities is presented in this article.

How do enrollees feel about support in Big Hospices? - The caregiver experience of emotional, spiritual, and bereavement support by profit status among large US providers.

OBJECTIVES: Recent findings narrate profiteering detrimentally impacting hospice care quality. However, no study has examined the caregiver experience of emotional and spiritual support expressed online. The purpose was to evaluate the hospice caregiver's experience of emotional, spiritual, and bereavement support and whether the care was respectful and compassionate to the care unit. METHODS: Retrospective mixed methods of sentiment and quantitative analysis. Sources were online caregiver reviews (n = 4,279), Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) data on the 50 largest US hospices. RESULTS: Caring and compassionate professionals were lauded in nonprofit (+.57) and for-profit settings (+.46). The nonprofit experience was in the excellent range (+42) for emotional, spiritual, and bereavement support but fell to dissatisfying (-.15) among for-profits. A respectful experience (16%) was much less commonly expressed than a compassionate one (38%). Distribution of CAHPS "Treating patient with respect" (M = 89.62, SD = 2.63) and "Emotional and spiritual support" (M = 89.80, SD = 2.04) limited inter-hospice comparisons. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: Compassionate professionals were thanked and praised regardless of profit status. Sadly, anger was expressed toward large, for-profits more fixated on census than emotional, spiritual, and bereavement support; thankfully nonprofits were more supportive. CAHPS items for "Treating patient with respect" and "Emotional, spiritual support" offer limited discriminating value since low CAHPS performers always had relatively high scores on these 2, yet otherwise low scores on the remaining 6. Online reviews on the same topics provide a more substantive and realistic appraisal - distinguishing high from low performers. A higher bar than mere respect is needed for the tender experience of death, dying, and grieving. Compassion is an especially relevant addition to CAHPS since caregivers named compassionate staff as a distinguishing factor. Parity for mental health at end of life is a vital research topic. Future research should also explore the caregiver expectations set on admission.

Impact on Growth and Feed Availability from Including Jack Mackerel (Trachurus japonicas) Meal in Rockfish (Sebastes schlegeli) Feeds Which Otherwise Replace Fish Meal with Chicken By-Product Meal.

This study was conducted to elucidate the impact on the growth and feed availability of rockfish (Sebastes schlegeli) from including jack mackerel meal (JMM) in feeds which otherwise substitute 20% fish meal (FM) with chicken by-product meal (CBM). Six formulated feeds were designed to be isonitrogenous and isolipidic. Specifically, 55% FM was included in the control (Con) diet. In the Con diet, 20% FM was substituted by CBM, and then the graded levels (0, 20, 40, 60, and 80%) of JMM were included instead of FM, named as the C20J0, C20J20, C20J40, C20J60, and C20J80 diets, respectively. Five hundred and forty juvenile rockfish (initial weight of 11.2 g) were assigned to 18 tanks. All experimental feeds were fed to triplicate groups of rockfish twice daily for 8 weeks. Superior weight gain, specific growth rate (SGR), and feed intake of rockfish fed the C20J60 and C20J80 diets compared to rockfish fed the Con and C20J0 diets were observed. However, the feed utilization, biological indices, proximate composition, amino acid profiles, and blood chemistry of the rockfish were not affected by the dietary treatments. The slightly but not significantly higher economic profit index and growth performance were obtained in the C20J60 diet compared to the C20J80 diet. In conclusion, the C20J60 diet was the most recommendable treatment based on the improvement in growth performance (weight gain and SGR) and feed intake of rockfish, and the highest economic return to farmers.

Research on the improvement mechanism of value-based healthcare objectives in pharmaceutical group procurement.

Focusing on the research scenario that integrates value-based healthcare objectives with the pharmaceutical group purchasing model, this study delineates value-based healthcare objectives in pharmaceutical group purchasing from three perspectives: drug sales price, drug quality, and service level. We construct a three-level pharmaceutical group purchasing supply chain consisting of drug manufacturers, medical institutions, and non-profit drug group purchasing organisations. Under centralised and decentralised decision-making, we introduce cost-sharing contracts and "cost-sharing-quantity-discount" contracts to analyse the impact of factors such as drug sales price, quality, and sensitivity of the service level. The study found that: (1) Compared with centralised decision-making, the optimal drug quality and service level in decentralised decision-making and the optimal profits of drug manufacturers and medical institutions will decrease. However, the optimal drug sales price in decentralised decision-making always deviates from that in centralised decision-making, leading to higher or lower drug sales prices. (2) The incorporation of value-based healthcare objectives in the pharmaceutical group purchasing through cost-sharing contracts depends on changes in the proportion of drug quality costs borne by medical institutions. If the proportion is too high, medical institutions will suffer greater losses because they bear too much of the cost. (3) Under certain conditions, cost-sharing contracts can improve supply chain efficiency but cannot achieve supply chain coordination, while the combination of "cost-sharing-quantity-discount" contracts can achieve supply chain coordination in pharmaceutical group purchasing.

Comply or evade: factors influencing private enterprises' basic old-age insurance responsibilities.

Introduction: Private enterprises are playing an increasingly important role in production and employment in China. However, due to less regulation and a stronger profit motivation than state-owned enterprises with more standardized management, a considerable portion of these private enterprises fall short of fulfilling their basic responsibilities for government-mandated old-age insurance. Methods: This study establishes a comprehensive research framework aimed at delving into the precise factors contributing to the lax adherence of private enterprises to their basic old-age insurance obligations. This framework takes into account a range of factors, including enterprise profitability, the external environmental context (specifically the level of regional development), and internal organizational dynamics (such as the presence of labor unions and workers' congresses). To validate this framework, empirical data from a substantial sample of 3,123 private enterprises, which were part of the 10th Chinese Private Enterprise Survey (CPES), were utilized. This study employs the stepwise multiple regression analysis and conducts robustness tests to ensure the model's effectiveness. Results: Enterprise profitability, regional development levels, and the existence of labor unions all wield a positive influence on basic old-age insurance coverage that private enterprises extend to their workforce. Moreover, an intriguing aspect emerges: the developmental stage of the region, as well as the presence of labor unions exercise a negative moderating effect on the relationship between enterprise profitability and the coverage rate of basic old-age insurance. In essence, this implies that the basic old-age insurance coverage rate for private enterprises operating in well-developed regions and those with established labor unions is relatively insulated from fluctuations in profitability. Discussion: To increase the participation rate of private enterprises' basic old-age insurance, it is important to improve the overall development environment for private enterprises, enhance internal organizational mechanisms, and strengthen regulatory oversight of enterprises in various regions.

The forensic imaging technique of age progression used within missing people cases: The Italian Missing Children association realizing age progression for Missing Child Kenya.

The age progression technique allows to update identification photos of individuals who have been missing for years. This method is based on the study of the facial variation and on the dynamics of facial growth. Knowledge about changes in the distribution of facial fat and the tone of the cartilage allows realistic predictions of the facial appearance after many years. Beside these elements, age progression is also supported by similar characters between family members. This is why photos of the missing and family members are used to create an age progression, making the new identikit accurate. Non-profit associations are crucial for the dissemination of information on the problem of missing persons. In Italy, the Italian Missing Children association provides for free an age progression service with the support of forensic anthropology. With the activation of a protocol, consisting of guidelines, and a form for the request for age progression by family members, the Italian Missing Children has started a collaboration with Missing Child Kenya. It allowed to disseminate up-to-date photos of the presumed current appearance of the missing children in Kenya. Thus, in the present study some cases are reported, in which age progression technique was applied. The photos provided by Italian Missing Children were shown in video documentaries made by Missing Child Kenya, allowing to continue the dissemination of age progression photo during the Covid quarantines and to keep the population active in the search for the missing.

Dietary Replacement Effect of Fish Meal by Tuna By-Product Meal on Growth and Feed Availability of Red Sea Bream (Pagrus major).

The effect of substituting fish meal (FM) by tuna by-product meal (TBM) on growth and feed availability of red sea bream (Pagrus major) was investigated. Six experimental diets were crested to be isonitrogenous (51.5%) and isolipidic (14.5%). The control (Con) diet contained 55% FM. FM substitution in the Con diet was made in increments of 20 percentage points (20, 40, 60, 80, and 100%), named as the TBM20, TBM40, TBM60, TBM80, and TBM100 diets, respectively. Juvenile red sea bream were stocked into 18, 300 L flow-through tanks (50 fish/tank). Red sea bream were hand-fed with each diet until satiation for 8 weeks. No statistical differences in weight gain, specific growth rate (SGR), and feed consumption were found among red sea bream fed the Con, TBM20, and TBM40 diets. Furthermore, feed utilization of fish fed the TBM20, TBM40, TBM60, and TBM80 diets was comparable to red sea bream fed the Con diet. The biological indices, biochemical composition, and hematological parameters of fish were not statistically altered by dietary FM replacement with TBM. The greatest economic profit index was achieved in the TBM40 diet. In conclusion, the replacement of 40% FM with TBM in red sea bream diet appears to be the most recommendable approach without producing retarded growth and feed availability, but maximizing EPI to farmers.

Effects of Dietary Inclusion of a Crude Protein Source Exhibiting the Strongest Attractiveness to Red Sea Bream (Pagrus major) on Growth, Feed Availability, and Economic Efficiency.

Dietary incorporation of an attractive feed protein source is a practical method of enhancing feed intake and consequently improving the growth of fish. The attractiveness of 18 crude protein sources to juvenile red sea bream (Pagrus major) and the effects of the dietary inclusion of the crude protein source that exhibited the strongest attractiveness on growth, feed availability, and economic efficiency were determined. Jack mackerel meal (JMM) showed the strongest attractiveness to red sea bream among 18 crude protein ingredients. In an 8-week feeding trial, 810 juveniles were randomly distributed into 27 tanks (30 fish/tank). Nine experimental diets were prepared. The control (Con) diet included 60% fish meal (FM). Various levels (1, 3, 5, 10, 20, 40, 60, and 100%) of JMM were included at the expense of FM in the Con diet, and the resulting diets were named the JMM1, JMM3, JMM5, JMM10, JMM20, JMM40, JMM60, and JMM100 diets, respectively. Fish were hand-fed to apparent satiation twice daily for 8 weeks. The weight gain, specific growth rate, and feed consumption of red sea bream that were fed the JMM40, JMM60, and JMM100 diets were significantly (p < 0.0001 for all) higher than those of the fish fed all other diets. However, dietary JMM inclusion had no remarkable impacts on the feed utilization, biological indices, and chemical composition of the whole body of red sea bream. In terms of the economic view of the study, the economic profit index of red sea bream fed the JMM40, JMM60, and JMM100 diets was significantly (p < 0.0001) greater than that of the fish fed all other diets. In conclusion, the strongest attractiveness to red sea bream among 18 crude protein sources was observed in JMM. The inclusion of more than 40% JMM at the expense of FM in the diet of red sea bream is highly recommended for practical feed formulations to induce remarkable improvement in the growth performance of fish and the economic returns for farmers.